diff --git a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConfiguratorBase.java b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConfiguratorBase.java
index 662a9161b3..acf4c9bb6c 100644
--- a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConfiguratorBase.java
+++ b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConfiguratorBase.java
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ protected void addElementSelectorAndActionAssociations(RuleStore rs) {
         rs.addRule(new ElementSelector("configuration/statusListener"),  StatusListenerAction::new);
 
         rs.addRule(new ElementSelector("*/appender"),  AppenderAction::new);
-        rs.addRule(new ElementSelector("configuration/appender/appender-ref"),  AppenderRefAction::new);
+        rs.addRule(new ElementSelector("*/appender/appender-ref"),  AppenderRefAction::new);
         rs.addRule(new ElementSelector("configuration/newRule"),  NewRuleAction::new);
 
         rs.addRule(new ElementSelector("*/param"),  ParamAction::new);
diff --git a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConstants.java b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConstants.java
index 7ee9422775..843c2bdef7 100644
--- a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConstants.java
+++ b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/joran/JoranConstants.java
@@ -45,5 +45,6 @@ public abstract class JoranConstants {
 
     public static final String APPENDER_BAG = "APPENDER_BAG";
     public static final String APPENDER_REF_BAG = "APPENDER_REF_BAG";
+    public static final String PARENT_APPENDER_BAG = "PARENT_APPENDER_BAG";
     // public static final String FILTER_CHAIN_BAG = "FILTER_CHAIN_BAG";
 }
diff --git a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/AppenderRefModelHandler.java b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/AppenderRefModelHandler.java
index 12e7318b8c..37bada04c2 100755
--- a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/AppenderRefModelHandler.java
+++ b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/AppenderRefModelHandler.java
@@ -50,9 +50,16 @@ void attachRefencedAppenders(ModelInterpretationContext mic, AppenderRefModel ap
             AppenderAttachable<?> appenderAttachable) {
         String appenderName = mic.subst(appenderRefModel.getRef());
 
-        Map<String, Appender> appenderBag = (Map<String, Appender>) mic.getObjectMap().get(JoranConstants.APPENDER_BAG);
+        Map<String, Appender> appenderBag = (Map<String, Appender>) mic.getObjectMap().get(JoranConstants.APPENDER_BAG);        
 
         Appender appender = appenderBag.get(appenderName);
+        if (appender == null) {
+            Map<String, Appender> parentAppenderBag = (Map<String, Appender>) mic.getObjectMap().get(JoranConstants.PARENT_APPENDER_BAG);
+            if (parentAppenderBag) != null) {
+                appender = parentAppenderBag.get(appenderName);
+            }
+        }
+
         if (appender == null) {
             addError("Failed to find appender named [" + appenderName + "]");
         } else {
diff --git a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/ModelInterpretationContext.java b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/ModelInterpretationContext.java
index 4ddb6abeee..dcfc77f00d 100644
--- a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/ModelInterpretationContext.java
+++ b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/model/processor/ModelInterpretationContext.java
@@ -85,6 +85,7 @@ public ModelInterpretationContext(ModelInterpretationContext otherMic) {
         variableSubstitutionsHelper =  new VariableSubstitutionsHelper(context, otherMic.getCopyOfPropertyMap());
         defaultNestedComponentRegistry.duplicate(otherMic.getDefaultNestedComponentRegistry());
         createAppenderBags();
+        objectMap.put(JoranConstants.PARENT_APPENDER_BAG, new HashMap<String, Appender<?>>((Map<String, Appender<?>>)otherMic.objectMap.get(JoranConstants.APPENDER_BAG)));
     } 
         
     public Map<String, Object> getObjectMap() {
diff --git a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/sift/AppenderFactoryUsingSiftModel.java b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/sift/AppenderFactoryUsingSiftModel.java
index 210ec8f7a7..2fc55eee25 100644
--- a/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/sift/AppenderFactoryUsingSiftModel.java
+++ b/logback-core/src/main/java/ch/qos/logback/core/sift/AppenderFactoryUsingSiftModel.java
@@ -23,12 +23,14 @@
 import ch.qos.logback.core.joran.spi.DefaultNestedComponentRegistry;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.joran.spi.JoranException;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.AppenderModel;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.model.AppenderRefModel;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.ImplicitModel;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.Model;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.ParamModel;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.PropertyModel;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.SiftModel;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.processor.AppenderModelHandler;
+import ch.qos.logback.core.model.processor.AppenderRefModelHandler;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.processor.ImplicitModelHandler;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.processor.ModelInterpretationContext;
 import ch.qos.logback.core.model.processor.PropertyModelHandler;
@@ -67,6 +69,7 @@ public boolean hasDependers(String dependeeName) {
         siftProcessor.addHandler(PropertyModel.class, PropertyModelHandler::makeInstance);
         siftProcessor.addHandler(ImplicitModel.class, ImplicitModelHandler::makeInstance);
         siftProcessor.addHandler(AppenderModel.class, AppenderModelHandler::makeInstance);
+        siftProcessor.addHandler(AppenderRefModel.class, AppenderRefModelHandler::makeInstance);
         siftProcessor.addHandler(SiftModel.class, NOPSiftModelHandler::makeInstance);
         
         return siftProcessor;